1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to beverage dispensers, and in a preferred embodiment thereof to a countertop unit for use with either a bag-in-box or a figal and having built-in syrup pumps and carbonator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present commercially available beverage dispensers of the type adapted to fit on top of a counter and having a plurality of beverage dispensing valves, each for a different beverage, are either gravity dispensers or pressure dispensers. The gravity dispensers employ one or more syrup tanks in the top of the dispenser which are easily re-filled with syrup as they become empty. Pressure dispensers are fed syrup from a pressure source such as a stainless steel syrup tank (known in this art as figals) pressurized by CO.sub.2 gas, or such as a bag-in-box in which syrup is pumped out of a non-pressurized bag and to the beverage dispenser. These two types of dispensers employ different dispensing valves. These dispensers normally do no include a built in carbonator or a built-in syrup pump. The pressure dispensers that operate with the bag-in-box system are usually connected to syrup pumps which are mounted on a wall of the restaurant.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser for low volume markets which is made of low cost, readily available materials and components, and which is easy to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser having a refrigeration deck that is easily removable (as are the components thereof) for service without having to remove CO.sub.2 lines and water lines.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser having a modular carbonator which is easily removable (as are the components thereof) for servicing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser that is easily convertible for use with either a bag-in-box system or with figals.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispenser having built-in bag-in-box syrup pumps and a built-in carbonator.